World Golf League Million Dollar Shootout Reality Show

I thought that reality tv was last year’s news. And I was hoping that—given how bad The Golf Channel’s “Big Break” is—that no one would try another golf reality series. But it seems that the folk at PAX television have other ideas. Starting Jan 23, PAX will be running seven episodes of a new golf reality series: The WGL Million Dollar Shootout.

In it, five teams of four golfers will compete for a million dollar prize. They’ll play in a scramble format for 72 holes, with handicaps figured in. Scoring will be kept by a point system, similar to the Stableford, in which they receive 8 points for a double eagle, 6 for Eagle, 4 for Birdie, 2 for Par 1 for bogey, 0 for double bogey, and minus 1 for a triple. Team handicaps will be determined by dividing the team total by 4.

Each round, the team captain will eliminate one of the other team members, so that in round two, they will have five three-player teams, etc. After 54 holes, the two teams with the highest point totals will go on to a final 18-hole match for the million. Players previously cut will come back to return the teams to full strength.

An interesting twist, is that once every six holes, the teams will be able to call on a pro to take a shot for them. The resident pros were Fred Funk, Christy Kerr and Mark Calcavecchia.

The premise doesn’t sound too bad, but I wonder about the production values and direction. In particular, I hope that they avoid some of the things that set me on edge about “the Big Break”: the cheap look and poor production values,  and the insipid outtakes where they coax the players into making catty comments in a vain attempt to build tension. That sort of thing works on Survivor, where how long you stay in the game depends upon your social skills, but in golf, it’s about your golf skills, and the fact that you can’t stand another player has nothing to do with anything.

I also wonder why the show hasn’t been promoted. I don’t recall seeing any ads in the golf magazines or on tv (and if I did see them , they left no impresison at all). I learned about it through an article in my local newspaper about a Michigan man who is competing in the event. The local guy talked about his participation:

It was all for television. If I wanted to take a shot, I had to wait thirty minutes while the cameras set up—and then talk about how I felt about my success or failure.

That also doesn’t sound very good. I realize that they will cut the footage to make it seem seamless, but I dont’ see the players showing any excitement or tension if they have to wait half an hour to take each shot.

I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

20 thoughts on “World Golf League Million Dollar Shootout Reality Show”

  1. Based on the description, this show doesn’t sound very good at all. With that being said however, even at its horrible, that puts it 2 or 3 steps above that crap better known as The Big Break IV, That show was beyond horrible.

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  2. I visited the Million Dollar shootout webpage.  http://wglmilliondollarshootout.com.  They have a trailer postd there.  I thought it looked pretty good.  It seemed fast past.  The production was well done, and they have a few golf pros on the series (Fred Funk, Carin Koch, Cristie Kerr, etc).  I’m looking forward to seeing the series.  Hopefully, it will be a good series.  It is a million dollars.  How many times in a lifetime do you get a shoot at that? Let me know what you think.

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  3. Here is the latest on WGFL.  Unless it is just a puff piece paid by WGFL, it’s looking even better.

    Newest News of Million Dollar Shootout

    WGL Puts Million Dollar Golf Action on the Market

    Seven Episode Golf Reality Series Previously Set to Air on PAX Plays for Broader Audience; Celebrities, Pro Golfers, Creative Competition and High Quality Production Make Strong Prospect for Broadcast Partners

    With a high-quality, seven-episode series of 22 competitors, veteran actor/popular ballroom dancer/passionate golfer John O’Hurley as host and a group of golf pros guiding the way to $1 million, The World Golf League, Inc.‘s (OTC BB:WGFL.OB – News) Million Dollar Shootout is in discussions with a variety of networks as a potential broadcast home for the property.

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  4. I looked at the web site several months ago and it said the show was airing on PAX TV beginning on Jan. 23rd 2006.
    Now it says airing to be announced and the stock has been going done.

    Is this show going to air? Anyone know?

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  5. Deb:

        I thought it was a bit strange.  My take on the press release is that the show turned out better than expected, so they got themselves released to pursue a major network rather than air on PAX.  My guess is the stock went down because there is greater risk, because the airing is not set with a network.  But the potential seems larger if they get a bigger and better deal.

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  6. You guys really need to look into this company before making comments.  It has a bad history.  The new PR makes everything look so nice and rosy… PAX CANCELLED THE AIRING FOR NON PAYMENT… it’s in the latest filings.  WGL had to pay them a “default” payment… This company started out by selling memberships that allowed you to play in tournaments for a $100K prize… and that your membership got you discounts at courses throughout the world… only to come out that your membership paid for membership in one of the well known golf discount clubs… they even posted a link to all the course you could play with the WGL membership… but it was a link to courses all over the world, many of which were private courses that did not accept discount card.  Then there is the matter of them holding tournies for members, but the winners were often not members who had not played in the so called qualifiers.  They were also cited by the FL AG for non payment and false advertising.  They held one tournament, an invitational, that they advertised as paying $100K… those invited received notice that the prize was only $50K… but when they got there… the prize was only $25K… and someone was actually beaten up for speaking out at the awards banquet!  A subsequest tournie also advertised a $100K prize… they only, supposedly payed out $70K… and those big winners… never played in the member qualifiers.  You need to go to the RagingBull posting boards to get a good idea of what this company is really about.

    As to the shootout… it was announced that the $1M would go to a single winner… when the players showed up, it was suddenly a best ball team event… and, to make matters worse… those that were eliminated all came back to play in the final round!  And the winners have yet to be paid!

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  7. Wow.  I feel pretty foolish and naive.  Although some of the posts at the raging bull are funny in the sarcasm, my eyes have been opened to the game and deceit that is being played out.  I am in way over my head.  How are you suppossed to know who to believe?  That’s sad.  In my naive hope, i can’t help but keep asking why Mandaly (who appears to be a reputable company) would partner with WGFL and future projects if they are a flop.  Any insight?  Is there any place I can go to learn more about “the game,” so i don’t make any more uninformed investments?  Appreciate your help.

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  8. Paul… just go to sec.gov to look at ALL filings, go to the particular state’s corp filing page and look up the filings… see how many times a company has been closed down by a state for not paying or not filing (the FL corp page on this company is interesting, as well as the new WGLE on the Nevada Corp link)… look at ALL PR’s a company puts out and see the history/trends of how they announce things but have little or no follow up… look up the city they are located in and access the links for the city and county and see what kind of history the main people of the company have… use the posting boards, like RB, Yahoo, etc. and see how many posters suddenly appear that promote the stock, say how much they are buying… usually before a filing or PR is due out, they often announce this. Access the state attorney’s office web page for consumer alerts or any state action against the company.  Access the BBB for that area.  If the company announces that they will be doing something at a location, in this case… golf courses for qualifying tournies or national promotions through “chain stores”… call the courses or stores if in your area.

    In other words… research as if you were trying to locate a long lost relative…

    Hope this helps.

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  9. Chari:

      Thanks, that is a big help.  I appreciate you taking the time to write that out.  I have lost a lot of many running around in the dark and taking uninformed risks.

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  10. peru… I know who you are… you know nothing about this company inspite of what everyone has told you.  They did not have the money to pay PAX… it had nothing to do with WGL backing out because of lack of sponsors… they never had any, or they would have announced them in their fluffie PR’s.  PAX cancelled the deal for nonpayment.  This has been going on for years.  If they had the money they would have paid off the money owed and decreed by the FL AG to past winners of their national tournaments before going off into other ventures. Heck, they never paid what they advertized as the winning prizes… changing them when the tournies were actually held. They have been announcing network deals for 2 years for the MDSO… always in final negotiations. They even changed the format of the MDSO at the time of play… the website said a single winner would win the $1M!

    In business, the past always tells the future…

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  11. let’s see…. FL AG went after them for not paying past winners of a tournie, the concept for the MDSO as the PR’s said, was “A single winner”… and it was at the so called filming that they changed the format, but it was months later that they changed the website to say “winners”…. they claimed, in a PR that they made millions with a wholesale membership drive but the filings show only 1/2 a mil… and they never held any of the events that the membership would have gotten members and now have to pay them back…. they announced in July that they had a contract with PAX, announced later that they had sponsors lined and would announce them after the shooting, then PAX cancelled for non-payment and went after them for the money because of a nonrevocable contract… and then, on the RB boards there appears a poster saying he works for FOX and is at the convention in Vegas and that FOX is very interested in the show… but the contact he listed at FOX has no idea who this guy is, has received many phone calls about same, and will be investigating WGL because of same…

    Am I a disappointed investor… you know better…

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  12. what was the contact info so I can check it myself.  Now after reading the Raging Bull stuff, Interested to see what it was he left as his contact info.  I couldn’t seem to find it on any part of the board??!!  Sure he left it??

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  13. peru… unfortunately the concepts have all been tried and failed or never completed.  I agree about doing things to get more interest in the LPGA, as a woman golfer… but this company is not the one to do it. 

    As to TV guy… the post was done last week… can’t remember the info but you can go to the 20th Century Fox page and get the phone number or email the contact, Scott Grogin at [email protected].  It is obvious that RB got wise to the situation and stopped him from posting, just as they did his other alias.  Should he show up again, the regulars on the board will know it and all his posts, under any alias will probably be removed.

    This company has a very bad history and with so many posts it will take you for ever to learn the history… but it might be worth your time and effort to read the earlier posts, then the posts from 2002 and 2003 when the whole thing came apart.

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  14. All,
    This stock is going to skyrocket.  I have been a skeptical share holder for one year now but the recent airing in the UK and Ireland went amazing.  My family is over there and they described it compared to the first US season of Survivor with MDS parties for everyone to watch.  The official ratings are coming soon but it was the show talked about at the water cooler.  Its here, get ready…

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  15. So, Rick… please inform us of who made it to the finals, who won… and the original PR and web site, way back when, was “A WINNER” takes all… it was when players showed up that it was changed to a Best Ball Team Event. But that wasn’t a big surprise for all of us that know this company… Oh… what I could tell you about this company…

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  16. Hello all, wow paul…. thats some SERIOUSLY intelligent as well as FREE advice your givin out there! Very kind of you indeed. As for WGLE, oh, excuse me… WGLT as their now listed after doing the reverse stock split thingy maa gig! (which i still don’t completely understand as being legal).

    The question i wanted to ask was, yes Rick… please do tell us more as charli requested. Please, tell us more. I have family/friends over in the UK as well as Ireland, and they said the show went TOTALLY unnoticed! So please, tell us.

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  17. What is the latest on the WGL $1,000,000 Shootout? I
    never saw it on PAX or anywhere else.  According to the company site it was shown on Setanta Network in England.  Any news on whether or not they will show on US television?

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  18. JB… the fact that they were moved to the pinks, didn’t file on time, and then tried to file both the late filing and the June filing at the same time in order to skirt the “3 strikes and you are out” SEC rules, and we have not seen any PR’s (last few said they would be airing the show in May or June somewhere as filler before major golf tournies…) That says a lot…. Go to the pinks and read a PR put out by some investment advice company…. it’s got old info!

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  19. Note. No proof it ever aired in UK/Ireland.

    Not one single news outlet covered the winning team, so it probably never aired.

    If anyone can post a link to any news article on the winning team, then I stand corrected.

    So far, Mike Pagnano has seemed to fail miserably in about everything he has tried to do with his loss-making company, yet he gets paid rather well for his failures. Shareholders have lost almost their entire investments over and over as WGLT.PK keeps failing to meet projections.

    Apparently, they don’t even pay prize winners. They got in some deep trouble with the Florida attorney general for this and still haven’t paid the prize moneys, per they financials.

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  20. Well hello all:
    I just would like to say I DID participate in the WGL million Dollar Shoot Out Show. It is being aired on Fox Sports net. If you go to the wglmilliondollarshootout.com it lists the times & dates when the show is airing in North America. As for the show it was a blast, nerve racking and a great experience. I hope every one enjoys watching the show!!!
    Dennis Ticknor

    Reply

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